Improvement in cakbiage-tops



SMITH & PIKE.

Umbrella for Carriage. I

No. 73,763. Patented Jan. 28, 1868.

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WILLIAM SMITH AND EMERY M. PlKE, OF 'M CDONOUGH. NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 73,763, dated' January 28, 1868. i

IMPROVEMENT IN CARRIAGE-TOPS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM SMITH and Eunnv M. PIKE, of the town of McDonough, in the county of Chenango, State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Construction of Carriage- Tops or Shades; and we do hereby declarcthat the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure 1 shows the standard and the device for raising and adjusting the top, as desired.

Figure 2 represents the top raised and attached to the buggy in a natural position.

The nature of our invention consists in constructing a carriage-top of umbrella-shape, with the necessary devices for adjusting the same at any desired angle, or in any direction, or detaching the top from the buggy at pleasure. I

To enable others skilled in the manufacture and use of carriages to use our invention, we will proceed to describe more fully its construction'and operation.

We construct our carriage-bodies in any desirable style, with a metallic tube, attached to the bottom of the body, and reaching up to the under side of the seat, figs. 1 and 2,71. This tube is fastened firmly to both the seat, C, fig. .3, and bottom of the carriage, B, fig. 2, and has a set-screw, a, figs. 1 and 2, to, hold the standard, A, figs. 1 and 2, at any desirable height or position. The standard A is made round at the'lower end, to fit into the tube It, and permit it to be turned around, as may be desired, to adjust the top for shade or shelter, or elevate or depress it to any height. The middle portion of the standard A is best square, but may be of other form. The upper end of the standard is made .fiat, and about one-half the thickness of the middle. portion of the standard, so as to fit into the sway pi ece g, fig. 1, upon which the top is fastened. The sway-piece g is pivoted to the upper end of the standard, atf, fig. 1, so that it may be moved to any position in adjusting the top. For the purpose of raising the top we have a sleeve, with a crescent-head, c, fig. 1. To this sleeve we attach a spring, 12, fig. 1, with a nib-point, to fit into a socket, and hold it at the proper height when the top is elevated. On the upper or concave surface of the crescent, in the centre, on opposite sides ,of the standard A, we make a catch-tooth, to hold the brace-stay d, fig. 1, in any desired position when tilting the top. The brace-stay d, fig. 1, consists ofeircular plate or ring, 0, fig. 1, of sutficient diameter to permit it to he moved right or left, as far "as may be desired, to tilt thetop. To the under side of the ring 0 we attach two toothed segments, cZ, fig. 1, on opposite sides of the standard A. These segments coincide with head of the sleeve c, and are toothed their entire length to fit to the catch-tooth on the sleeve, and hold the stay in any desired position in tilting the top.. To the plate or ringo we attach the braces, with suitable joints, as simiar d A, and is forked at the lower end to fit on the opposite sides of the flattened portion of the standard A.

larly used in umbrellas. The sway-piece g, fig. 1, is made solid at the upper end, and of the size of the stands The lower: end of'each fork is a slotted cross-head, and the .ends of these heads are fastened together byany suitable means, as with a rivet or holt. Through the slot ofthe cross-head we have a'set-screw, e, fig. 1, that screwed into the standard A, and shouldered, so as to clasp the face of the cross-head, and draw it firmly to the standard, andhold inany position desired.

The-object in'making the several parts as described is to tilt the top, and readily change. it to any posi tion, and equalize the strain upon the several parts, whether it .be from weight and spring of the how's, or wind and storms. This is accomplished in the following manner: The set-screw e is loosened, and the toothed segment (1 is set at any desired angle and held bythe toothon the sleeve 0. The sleeve is then moved upwards until the nib-point on the spring 12 drops into its socket. By this action the top ishoisted and the sway-piece g'of itself moves to one side until .the segment exactly coincides with the head of the sleeve 0. The setscrew e, in the slot of the sway-piece, is then tightened. This renders the sway-piece as firm as though it were a part of the standard, and takes the lateral strain from the.tooth of the sleeve-head while the braces are in the position which they have assumed naturally.

The method of usingour invention is as follows: The top being tilted and elevated in the manner before described, the set-screw a, figs. 1 and 2, in the tube It, is loosened, and the top turned around to the proper position to ward 0d the rays. of the sun, the wind, or storm. The standard A may then be raised to any desired height, and then the set-screwiis tightened, when it is .held firmly to its place. If the direction of the road or storm ehanges so as to make a change in the position of the top desirable, it is only necessary to loosen the set-screw a, and turn the top, as desired.

The advantages of our invention over those inuse are, that it will cost less than one-fourth as much, and will weigh only about one-sixth, and when not necessarily in use can be detached and folded in a moment and placed under the seat of the carriage, out of the way; second, that it will accommodate itself to any or differ ent heights; third, that it will not wrench nor strain the carriage-body or seat one-fourth as much as the heavy tops in use; fourth, while it will cost so much less, and be so much lighter than ordinary ones in use, it will be equally durable.

We are aware that a carriage-top constructed like an umbrella has been used heretofore, but not constructed or used in the manner hereinbefore described; nor do we believe that the device by which we change the position of the top, and hold it in the desired position, has been known or used by any one; and, therefore,

What we claim in the construction of carriage-tops, and for no other purpose, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The construction of the sleeve 0, the brace-stay d and 0, when made and used as and in the manner described. I

2. The sway-piece y, when made and used as and for the purposes described.

3. The arrangement of the sway-piece g, and the brace-stay and segment 0 and d, in combination with the sleeve 0 and spring I), for tilting and holding the top in any desired position.

Dated Greene, May 21, 18 67. I I WILLIAM SMITH,

EMERY M. PIKE.

Witnesses:

N. W. Nomrmnr, H. F. Nonrnnnr. 

